SHOT Show 2024: Sweet Military and Police Gear

After walking for days and days at SHOT, I realized I hadn’t even made it to the military and police side. My little map made everything look much smaller than it was in real life, and my feet kept reminding me how much I was walking. But eventually, I made it to that side of SHOT with all the military and law enforcement gear. I work in law enforcement, so I wanted to see what new LE gear was hitting in 2024. Just like every other category at SHOT, there were more military and police vendors than I could possibly visit in any capacity. A lot of the products I found were interesting, to say the least. From watches and socks to body armor and DoD-grade equipment, you can find it all at SHOT. I’ve covered guns so much in other articles that I wanted to focus on some other products that piqued my interest. So, without further ado, let’s get into it!

Sarkar Tactical

Sarkar Tactical is headquartered in England but has factories in the US and Brazil. They manufacture body armor, demining equipment, drones, and other top-shelf military-related equipment. Most of it is cool stuff that civilians will never own, but it’s still fun to look at, right? Being in law enforcement and an all-around tactical equipment guru, I tend to drift towards items I can get my hands on. They wouldn’t let me play with their drones or bomb-defusing robots, so I focused on their body armor. Specifically, a new style of face shield they are developing.

With the increase of riots, demonstrations, and large-scale crowd control operations, face shields are becoming a necessary accessory for helmets. Sarkar Tactical is in the process of developing a two-piece shield that can be used together or independently. The top portion covers the eyes and rotates up when not needed. When you need it, simply pull it down over your eyes and lock it in place.

If you want the lower portion attached as well, it rotates down under your chin when not needed. Just like the eye covers, pull up on the mouth guard, and it will lock in place. When used in conjunction with one another, the two pieces connect in the middle to create an entire face shield. During SHOT 2024, a rep told me that future models will be offered in tinted versions. A release date is expected mid-year, and I’m hoping I can get my hands on one to review.

Magpul DAKA Grid storage system

Next on my list of sweet military and police gear is Magpul’s new DAKA Grid storage system. We focus so much on guns and gear that we often overlook the storage systems we use to haul our gear in. Magpul put on their thinking cap for this one and created a completely new system. Remember the foam inserts that you had to cut out to make your rifle fit? Buying a new gun meant you had to start all over with a new foam insert.

With the DAKA Grid storage system, you can move the pieces around as much as needed. The system reminds me of Legos, as you can configure the case over and over again as needed. The bottom foam insert has square notches, allowing the DAKA blocks to snap into place in a variety of configurations. Use it for a rifle and mags, rifle and handguns, or multiple handguns. DAKA Grid organizers for Pelican, Plano, or DAKA hard cases range from $141-$160, and the V-Block kit retails for $19.95. Not too bad!

Mechanix four-layer extreme winter glove system

If you live in the desert, you probably won’t care much about this next find. But if you deal with snow, ice, and freezing temperatures, check out Mechanix’s four-layer extreme glove system. I’ve got some warm gloves, but even then, my hands get cold if I’m standing outside for hours. Mechanix knows gloves better than anyone, and when they designed these, they had the military in mind. But that doesn’t mean you can get yourself a set, too. The first set is a soft base layer pair of gloves. You can use them for chilly weather and when you still need the ability to operate equipment or firearms.

When it gets cold, just slip the second pair over the first. This makes them feel like one thicker pair of gloves. Once you add the third pair over the second, it would be hard to perform some tasks because you lose the mobility in your fingers. But there are times when it’s more important to stay warm than to have functioning fingers. For the most extreme weather, slip the glove covers (fourth layer) over the third pair of gloves. This protects them from wind and rain and creates a dead-air space to help keep your hands warm.

Ohio Ordnance Works BAR

If we are going to talk about military and police gear, it’s only fair that I throw in a classic gun somewhere. When stopping by the booth at Ohio Ordnance Works, the first thing you notice is the display of classic-looking BAR rifles. Although this rifle is no longer used by many, it remains a legendary weapon. If you’re not familiar with the BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle), it was invented by John Moses Browning, the father of modern handguns. He was also the creator of the 1911 pistol, which is the longest-serving military pistol in US history.

The original BAR was an automatic rifle, but Ohio Ordnance Works offers a semi-auto version for those civilian BAR lovers. It will set you back to the tune of $7,600 to own one. If you want to go bigger, they offer the M240 in a semi-auto mode that only costs $15,000. I won’t be buying either one of these rifles, but they are fun to look at and hold. For modern use, Ohio Ordnance is producing a modified BAR with a synthetic stock, Picatinny rails, and a pistol grip. While that version is much more practical in today’s world, I couldn’t help taking a picture of the classic BAR.

What gear do you need?

There will be plenty more gear to cover in the upcoming weeks and months. But some of the items at SHOT give you a glimpse of what direction the industry is heading. Tactical gear was everywhere, which means the demand for vest carriers, helmets, and radio systems is increasing. I don’t mind because I love tactical gear, and it’s becoming easier to find. And, when a bunch of companies all focus on the same product, we see innovation and cheaper prices. I will be keeping my eyes on some of the new gear I found at SHOT. What tactical gear do you need or want?